Budget for culture has increased, yet it is disappointing

I was engaging in gossip with some writers and thinkers at Batighar bookstore in Dhaka, yesterday evening. A professor-writer, who has returned from abroad, said that for going forward in the literature-culture-intellectual arena of Bangladesh a large number of world literature ought to translate into Bengali. Not only literature, books on science, economics, research, technology all need a lot of translation. Then another writer made a funny comment, a thousand crore rupees should be allocated in the budget for translation. Another writer frowned and said, a thousand crores indeed is not a very big deal right now!

A thousand core taka is not much amount comparing current budget. If you want to build a big structure you will be needed that money. Even for constructing an EPZ, it requires more than that amount. But with a great matter of sorrow to say, the budget of Bangladesh is allocated much less than a thousand crore taka every financial year for the entire culture sector. It was allocated only 556 crores in 2021-22 fiscal year. In 2022-23 it was 637 cores, and the last FY it was 699 cores taka. And this FY 2024-25 it is 779 cores taka. When the total budget size is Tk 7 lakh 97 thousand, it is far less than 1 percent in this FY's budget. It is Tk 80 crore more than last year's budget, but it cannot be said that it has increased much in terms of commodity prices.…

For the past several years cultural activists in Bangladesh have been demanding that at least 1 percent of the total national budget be allocated to the cultural sector. Different cultural organisations, including the Sammilita Sangskritik Jote, have taken to the streets multiple times to press ahead with the demand. However, the activists alleged that every year the national budget fails to meet their expectations. May 31 at 3 pm, organized by Udichi a seminar titled 'National Budget: Relevance of One Percent Allocation in Cultural Sector' was held in the seminar room of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The culture sector has been 'neglected' despite the increase in the size of the national budget every year, culture activists have expressed their disappoint…

Actor and Writer Mamunur Rashid said, “politicians used to take advice from cultural activists in former times. Situation has changed much by this time, no one can even think of it now. Every year our Ministry of Cultural Affairs gives a donation of fifty to sixty thousand taka to some cultural organizations. It is given as if they are showing charity. It is not charity, grant; It is the right of cultural workers.’

Mamunur Rashid Added more, ` If the allocation is not increased for to the culture sector in the budget, it will continue in the same way. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs is completely under bureaucratic system, they do nothing to promote culture. I think the Ministry of Cultural Affairs should be closed. This ministry is doing nothing for our culture.

Economist MM Akash, said, `besides from the demand for allocation of at least 1 percent of the total budget, there should also be a proper expenditure plan. It should also be clear why we are asking for the allocation. Even if one percent is allocated, it should be seen whether it has the ability to spend properly."

In 1988, a separate ministry was formed under the name of the Ministry of Culture. The goal of the Ministry is to foster the mental development and advancement of the nation through the preservation of the country's culture, agriculture, history, heritage, awareness of the Liberation War, conservation of contemporary art and literature, promotion of free thinking, and research and development. The website provides information that currently there are 21 departments and institutions under the ministry. Some notable departments include: the Department of Archaeology, the National Library Department, the Bangla Academy, the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the Bangladesh National Museum, the Kabi Nazrul Institute, the National Book Centre, the Bangladesh Folk and Craft Foundation, etc.

If you want to know the names of the remaining departments, you can visit the website of the Ministry of Culture. The question is, how does the Ministry of Culture manage so many departments with such limited resources?

The Ministry spends the budget in two main categories: Management and Development. Under the Management category, expenses include cash wages and salaries, events and festivals, special grants, welfare grants, research, approval for books, and cultural grants. The highest expenditure among these is usually on cultural grants. On the other hand, under the Development category, the funds are spent on infrastructure construction, expansion, renovation, and various service programs. According to the Accounts Division of the Ministry (3rd May), in the fiscal year 2023-24, the allocated budget for Management was 436 crore 77 lakh taka, and for Development, it was 262 crore 8 lakh taka. Therefore, the total allocated budget was 698 crore 85 lakh taka.

It appears that the majority of the budget allocated to the Ministry of Culture is being spent on administrative expenses rather than on cultural activities. Even though the cultural departments are supposed to manage cultural activities according to regulations, they often face challenges in doing so. The cultural events are often managed in a manner that suggests they may or may not take place as scheduled.

When we observe the activities of institutions like the Bangla Academy, the Shilpakala Academy, the National Book Centre, and the Bangladesh Folk and Craft Foundation, we can understand their functions. Does the Bangla Academy conduct any independent research? Are there notable translations of books? There's nothing noteworthy in this regard. For several years, the Bangla Academy has been subject to criticism. However, there has been no improvement in the situation. Without an increase in the budget, undertaking significant projects is not possible.

Culture is the soul of a nation-state. When a healthy culture deteriorates, various types of crimes increase in society. Young people become addicted, people from special professions become involved in corruption and become non-communal. It has been observed that in countries where a healthy culture has developed, the number of prisons has decreased. On the contrary, in our country, as various types of crimes are increasing gradually, the reason is that people have become indifferent to culture. Our national culture is now submerged in the abyss of unculturedness.

There is a deep connection between education and culture. In countries where culture is not developed, the education system is also fragile. In our country, the education system is currently facing destruction. The reason is that students have drifted away from culture. If the present generation lacks a connection with the indigenous culture, it poses a threat to the nation. The responsibility of preserving indigenous culture lies on the shoulders of the state. What is the solution if the budget for culture is not increased?

It's indeed unfortunate that the cultural activities under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture are predominantly centralized in the capital, Dhaka. This means that a significant portion of the country's population is moving away from national cultural discourse under state administration. Consequently, we observe a rise in various social malpractices in peripheral regions. Without increasing the budget for culture, it's not feasible to involve everyone in cultural discourse across the country.

Absolutely, culture is the vehicle for the collective discourse of a nation's humanity. If culture is destroyed, everything else follows suit. For thousands of years, the arts and culture of Bengal have flourished organically. People have engaged in various forms of folk-art discussions for their own joy and mental stimulation through music, drama, and festivities. However, in modern times, national institutions and patronage are necessary for the promotion of artistic discourse. Since Bengalis in this land have been subjugated for thousands of years, the artists of this country never had any national favor. After Bangladesh gained independence, when the great Bengali leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took the initiative to build the nation, cultural institutions were also strengthened alongside other infrastructures. Unfortunately, despite 53 years of independence, it cannot be said that cultural institutions have progressed as much as other infrastructures in the country. Even the present Awami League government, which came to power under the leadership of Bangabandhu, seems indifferent to this issue.

Other infrastructure is visible, but cultural activity remains largely invisible. The lack of cultural practices can be understood rather by the negative aspects of the society. That is, the more negative activities increase in a society, the more it will be understood that there is a lack of healthy cultural practices in the society. It is very disappointing to be apathetic about what is most needed in Bangladesh today.

On this matter, it can be said that alongside the government's indifference, there is also apathy among cultural workers. Although they have requested a slightly higher budget, it seems the government has not fully grasped the importance of the budget. Moreover, simply conducting a seminar before the budget won't suffice to understand the matter. There needs to be continuous discussion throughout the year on the importance of the budget in the cultural sector.

Author: Fiction writer and journalist